Wonju City "Do not wash kimchi ingredients with a regular rubber hose."

Ahead of the full-scale kimchi season, the city of Wonju, Gangwon-do, urged people not to use regular rubber hoses when washing ingredients such as cabbage and radish or when cooking food.

According to the city, chlorphenol may be produced when some components of commonly used PVC rubber hoses react with tap water disinfection components.

This substance creates an unpleasant odor similar to disinfectant in food and can cause vomiting or abdominal pain if consumed in large quantities.

The city believes that many of the complaints about tap water odor received during kimchi season, restaurants, and cafeterias are related to the use of general rubber hoses.

When washing ingredients or cooking food, it is best to use water directly from the faucet.

If you must use a hose, you must use a KC-certified product that is marked ‘for water use’ or ‘for drinking water’.

Special hoses made of non-toxic, silicone, Teflon, or stainless steel can also be used.

Lee Gil-buk, head of the water supply operation department, said on the 4th, “We will continue to inform citizens of Kim Jang-cheol about the correct use of tap water so that they can use it safely.”